The Princess Masika Series Book 1: Embarr's Princess
by EmbarrGuardian32
Summary: A year has passed since Atem found his final resting place. The source of Darkness itself has been vanquished, but the magic of Ancient Egypt finds its way back into Domino City once more. Strange events start to take place upon the arrival of Morgan Halo -a friend of Seto and Mokuba's from the orphanage- and the mysterious Embarr deck. Who is she really, and what's she hiding?
1. Prologue

Let Us Remember

Let us remember him

The Nameless Pharaoh

Who's spirit was imprisoned

For 5,000 years

Within the Millennium Puzzle.

Let us remember him

For his courageous battles.

Battling the darkness

Even within himself

And saving our world

Time and time again.

Let us remember him

Not as a spirit

But as a friend

Who supported us

And always had our backs.

Let us remember him

Through his closest friend Yugi

Who may be small

But has the biggest heart

And always believed in

The heart of the cards.

Let us remember him

By praying for his heir

Who lives another life now

And refuses to believe

But will

All in good time

Accept his past life.

Let us remember him

By recalling his name

Though he had many

One will stick

And remain in our hearts

Atem.

It was midday and the blazing sun had made the Egyptian deserts unbearably hot for even the most cold-blooded reptile that would sun bask in it. A normal human desperate enough to venture out into this extreme sultriness would not last ten minutes, and would quickly succumb to dangerous dehydration. The land was barren; silent, with only the slight winds picking up sand as company, not a living soul to be.

Or so it seemed. Two beings- one a human and the other appearing to be the spirit of a white fox the size of a newborn colt- stood in the ruins of a long-forgotten city, a hint of mourning obvious in the atmosphere. It was undetermined as to how long they had been standing in the abandoned city, but one would think not very long since the heat was only increasing.

The human came across as being a young female, no more than eighteen years of age, though that could be a mistake, for the white cloak she wore- clearly meant to protect her from the sun's powerful rays- covered a majority of her slim form and hid her lower face, revealing only her eyes the color of the Nile River and part of her tan skinned face. At the bottom part of her body, the cloak opened slightly, giving away the edge of her long, silk, white dress, her white sandals, and the very decorative golden anklets. The way she held her body- straight and strong- showed she was from a wealthy or perhaps even noble family.

The fox spirit stood at the girl's right, like a dog to its master. It could have been a mirage created by the intense heat, but the girl seemed to know better.

"So this is the village of Kul Elna?" The girl asked, not a hint of dryness in her voice.

The spirit nodded. "Yes, My Lady. This is the place where The Seven Millennium Items were forged." Its lips did not move, but a voice of a much older woman seemed to emit from the fox.

"From the souls of its residents?" The lady inquired with a shiver.

"Yes," the fox replied reluctantly.

The lady looked around at what was left of Kul Elna. "Do you feel it, Embarr? The despairing spirits that once roamed here seemed to have been put to rest."

"It was the work of the late Pharaoh Aknamkanon." The fox- now known as Embarr- stated.

Her master looked at her with confused eyes. "How could he have done that if he's been dead for ten years now?"

"Like me, his desire to protect those he loved went beyond the borders of the dead and the living," Embarr explained.

The human girl's eyes turned to sympathy. "Do not worry, Embarr. Somehow, we will find a way to bring you 'and' the other Guardians back." she reached out to touch her companion but her hand fazed right through.

Sadness cloaked Embarr's transparent form as she looked at the ground. "You have a kind heart, My Lady, but I fear that if the way of the Guardians disappears, then the Guardians 'themselves' will vanish along with it."

"I will give in to the Shadow Realm before I let that happen," the girl half-yelled, forcing Embarr's eyes to return to her master. The girl placed the tips of her fingers gently on her chest. "I will wait until the end of time if that is what it takes to keep your culture alive."

Embarr's amber-red eyes lit with a new light of hope. "Thank-you, My Lady. I will do anything I can to help you in your quest."

"Why don't you start with you not addressing me as 'Your Lady' every time you speak with me?"

Shock quickly settled into Embarr's eyes. "But I must, My Lady. You are the Princess and you saved my soul from the Shadows," she exclaimed.

"And last I recall, you saved mine on more than one occasion, so let us say we are even," the girl argued back. Realizing she was losing her temper, the girl sighed and with a softer voice added, "Please, just call me by my 'name', 'not' my 'title', and I will do what I can to bring the Guardians back."

Embarr seemed to sigh in both defeat and relief. "Thank you, Masika."

Masika smiled from underneath her cloak's veil. "Now, my friend; Do you know what I must do to keep your culture alive?"

Embarr nodded. "We must wait for The Great Pharaoh to be reborn in order to save his world once again."

"Then let us begin."


	2. Let Summer Be Interrupted

"I must be dreaming."

Seto Kaiba was walking down a dark path, seeing only darkness in every direction he looked. He had opened his eyes to find himself in this quiet and cold place and immediately classified it as 'another one of those tricks Yugi and those Egyptian circus freaks' had played on him in the past. At first he thought how he hadn't had a vision since 'that other Yugi' disappeared into the light in Egypt, but then reminded himself that the mind can easily be manipulated into seeing things that aren't real; that's what his hologram system was based on.

"Pharaoh," a distant voice called. "Pharaoh."

"Who's there!?" Kaiba demanded. He lashed his head, looking in all directions, but saw only shadows.

"Pharaoh… Pharaoh," the voice kept calling.

"Show yourself, coward!" Kaiba bunched his hands into fists.

The calling stopped… and was replaced with a giggle. "Come now, Pharaoh; even you must admit that was a little harsh for a childhood friend," the same voice spoke, but suddenly more clear and clearly that of a young girl's.

Before Kaiba could react, light dispersed the darkness and blinded the young man.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba. It doesn't appear that we're getting out of town anytime soon."

Kaiba shot open his eyes and found himself back in his business car, Roland at the wheel and Mokuba at his side. Cars were bumper-to-bumper in traffic and horns blared. Kaiba's head felt like it had been pounded by sledgehammers, but he just muttered something inaudible under his breath and rubbed his temples.

Mokuba looked away from the window to look at his brother. "You alright, Seto? You've been out of it since we got in the car"

"I'm fine," Seto snapped before he realized what he had done. "Sorry," he quickly added.

"It's okay," Mokuba replied. "I just worry about you sometimes." He looked back at the window and added, "Everyone is sure in a hurry to get a head start on their summer vacation. If things don't change soon-" His voice caught in his throat and his eyes grew wide.

Across the road in an alley, Mokuba saw a gang of hooded men walk into the darkness. But that wasn't what shocked him; a girl that seemed around the same age as Seto was struggling to stay on her feet. The girl turned her head towards the street and somehow spotted Mokuba through an opening between the cars. Pain was obvious on her face and she seemed to mouth a plea for help.

Kaiba looked at his brother with what was considered in his case a questionable look. "What is it, Mokuba?" Those words had barely left his mouth when Mokuba opened his door and jumped out. "Mokuba, get back here!"

Car horns blazed as Mokuba weaved through the traffic-packed cars towards the sidewalk on the other side of the road.

Kaiba looked at his head employee. "Roland, get off the road as soon as possible and wait there." He slid across the leather seat and out of the car before Roland could object. He slammed the door shut and ran after his brother. Unlike his brother who was smaller and could squeeze through the gaps between a bumper-to-bumper, Kaiba had to lunge over hoods and trunks, swinging his feet so close that it nearly touched the glass windshield of an unsuspecting car.

When he managed to get past all the cars and onto the sidewalk, he looked around for Mokuba, but the spiky haired boy was nowhere to be seen. "Mokuba!" He called over the noise of the honking cars.

Mokuba suddenly appeared around a corner ten paces away that led to an alleyway. "Over here, Seto!" He motioned with one of his hands for his brother to come to _him_, not the other way around.

Kaiba bunched his hands into fists at his side and walked over, trying to control his growing frustration that only make his headache worse. "Mokuba, we don't have time for this."

Mokuba didn't reply and instead disappeared into the alley.

When Kaiba rounded the corner into the dank alley, his sapphire-blue eyes grew wide. It wasn't the foul odor coming form the dumpsters that caused him to do this, but the sight of an unconscious girl resting against the gray brick wall.

She was at most eighteen- his age- with pale skin and untidy shoulder-length, light brown hair. She wore a dirty white blouse and denim jeans that were torn and had holes in them. Her arms- that lay at her side- were covered with bruises the color of blueberries and cuts in a different range of lengths, scarlet-red blood dripping from them.

Mokuba was kneeling beside the girl with a white handkerchief, trying to wipe away some of the blood on her cheek. He looked up at his brother with deeply concerned eyes. "In the car, I saw some weird guys in cloaks walking away from her. She saw me through an opening of the traffic and seemed to call out to me," he explained.

Kaiba groaned more out of irritation than the pain that pounded his skull. "You shouldn't have gone off like that."

"But she's _hurt_, Seto!" Mokuba argued, standing up.

"It's her own fault! If she wasn't as ignorant as Wheeler, she wouldn't be like this," Kaiba nearly barked.

"That's… a little… harsh… Seto," a voice weakly huffed.

The bickering brothers stopped and looked down to find the girl looking up at them through half-open, river-blue eyes.

She was obviously in a lot of pain, yet she still managed a slight smile. "Long time… no see," she said.

"Do I _know_ you?" Kaiba asked with his usual dark tone.

The girl made a weak laugh and slowly pushed away a stray piece of hair from her face. "Can't say that I blame you… for not remembering. I ran away… from the orphanage not too long… after you two arrived."

"The orphanage?" Mokuba repeated. "How could you-" He cut himself off and his eyes grew wide once more. "I _thought_ you looked familiar!"

"Coming back now?" The girl asked. "That's good. At least I know… I have _some_ friends… in this city."

Kaiba was by now also starting to realize who the girl was. "You're Morgan."

She nodded and slowly started to get to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. Her feet were trembling and she suddenly became pale as a ghost. When she seemed to have managed to stay on her feet, she smiled again, but her eyes closed and she fell forward.

Without thinking, Kaiba quickly held out his arms and caught the girl. He was glad the alley was dark and Mokuba could not see his face well, for you see, for the first time in his entire life, Seto Kaiba actually _blushed_.


	3. Hospital Drama

Sorry that I haven't done an author note till now. I'm still trying to get use to having to upload individual documents for each chapter, unlike deviantART and . Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying Book One of the Princess Masika series. Oh, and for those who are having a hard time imagining what Masika's fox companion looks like, think of a combination of Kirari from InuYasha and a shiny Ninetales (Pokemon)

Please no flames. They make me sad :(

/

"Thank-you, Doctor," a cheerful Serenity said before exiting the white office and closing the door softly behind her. Just outside the office, Joey, Yugi, Téa, and Tristan were sitting on the wooden bench. They all looked at her with smiles and got to their feet.

Joey walked up to his sister first, hopefulness in his eyes. "What'd he say?"

Serenity beamed him a large yet sweet smile. "He said I've improved so much that he believes I don't need to come in again."

"That's great news," Yugi said.

"I think this calls for a celebration," Téa proclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Why don't we all go out for burgers at that new restaurant?"

"Aw yeah, and Joey's buying!" Tristan stated, punching his first into the air.

"What!? Who said _I_ was buying!?" Joey went over to his friend and quickly brought him into a friendly headlock.

Yugi and the others laughed at the spectacle, but something quickly caught Téa's eye.

"Hey, is that…" Téa started, pointing a little ways down the hall where the vending machines were.

Yugi and Serenity stopped laughing, Joey released Tristan, and they all looked in the direction Téa was pointing.

Kneeling down to retrieve a water bottle from the machine dispenser was a familiar black-haired youth.

"It's Mokuba," Yugi uttered, surprise in his voice.

At the sound of his name, Mokuba looked up and immediately spotted his friends. "Yugi? What are _you_ guys doing here?" He walked towards them with his water bottle in his hand.

"We could ask you the same thing," Yugi replied. "I thought you would be with Kaiba at the opening ceremony for your next KaibaLand."

Mokuba looked down with a solemn face. "Seto and I were on our way, but…" his voice trailed off.

"Did your brother get hurt?" Serenity asked nervously.

Mokuba's head shot up. "No! Seto's just fine… at least, I think he is." He looked down the hallway towards the hospital rooms.

Smiling sympathetically, Yugi placed his hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "We're here for you, Mokuba. You can tell us what happened if you want to," he stated reassuringly.

Mokuba looked back at his friends to see them all smiling and nodding their heads. He turned back to Yugi and nodded as well. "Thanks, Yugi."

Mokuba had just explained the situation to Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Téa, and Serenity and they were all now sitting on the bench outside the room Morgan was being held.

"So what you're saying is that you and your brother were friends with her when you were both kids; right?" Téa said.

Mokuba nodded. "She wasn't around very long when Seto and I arrived at the orphanage, but it was clear that everyone there treated her like a freak or something; they all avoided her and told us to stay away from her. But…"

"You didn't," Yugi finished.

"Seto told me that just because someone looks or acts different doesn't mean you should treat them cruelly," Seto explained. "We tried to become friends with her, but it was hard since she rarely spoke… One day, she just… disappeared. Seto and I kinda forgot about her, but we recognized her quite easily when we found her in the alley."

At that moment, the door opened to the room and a doctor stepped out, followed by Kaiba. The young CEO looked to the bench and saw Mokuba, but then realized Yugi and the others with him. "Oh great, the dork patrol."

Joey gave him an irritated look and clenched his hands into fists. "Watch it."

Mokuba stood up and looked at his brother. "How is she?"

Seto sighed. "She has a dislocated shoulder, but the doctor says she'll be alright. She's still unconscious though." He looked down the hallway. "I'm going to the opening ceremony, but I want you to stay here, Mokuba. Got it?"

Mokuba nodded. "Alright, Seto."

Kaiba glanced at Yugi, shook his head as if to dismiss a thought, then headed towards the elevators without another word.

"What was that about?" Tristan inquired when Kaiba was out of earshot.

"Yeah, that was weird," Téa agreed.

Yugi couldn't help but think to himself, _Did it have something to do with The Pharaoh?_

Inside Morgan's hospital room, Mokuba and Yugi and the others were all standing around the bed, Morgan still unconscious as Kaiba had said. Her right shoulder was wrapped in bandages and was resting on a separate pillow.

However, Morgan seemed more asleep than comatosed, for she was breathing irregularly and moaning in pain as though she was having a nightmare.

"Whatever happened to her, it must have been really traumatic," Serenity stated sadly.

Morgan moaned again and tossed her head back and forth. "No… Chenzira… don't leave me," she called out weakly.

Everyone looked at Mokuba.

"Chenzira?" Yugi repeated.

Mokuba shrugged his shoulders. "She was muttering that name when we were rushing her here. I've never heard it before," he stated.

"I wonder who it could be?" Téa said, turning back to Morgan.

It was then that Morgan's eyelids began to flicker. Everyone took in a breath of surprise as she slowly opened them. "W-Where am I?" She asked in a whisper.

"The hospital," Mokuba replied. "You passed out in that alleyway; remember?"

Morgan put her hand to her head. "No. I remember seeing you and Seto, but that's it." At the thought, she looked around. "Where's Seto?"

"He had to go, but asked me to stay here." Mokuba smiled. "How do you feel?"

"A little sore, but other than that, I'm fine." Morgan looked at Yugi. "You're Yugi Mutou if I'm not mistaken, right?"

Yugi blinked in surprise. "You know me?"

Morgan smiled softly. "Who doesn't? I mean, you're the King of Games! I've seen your duels on T.V and during Battle City; you're an amazing duelist.

Yugi rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "That's nice of you to say, thank you."

"Hey," Joey suddenly jumped in, causing Morgan to look at him. "Do you know who I am?"

Morgan nodded. "Joey Wheeler, Duelist Kingdom and Battle City finalist, right?"

Joey made a huge grin. "Hehe. Glad to know there's someone who knows an awesome duelist such as myself."

Téa put her hand to her head and sighed. Serenity laughed at the gesture.

As the conversation went on, Téa, Tristan, and Serenity introduced themselves. Morgan mentioned bits and pieces of how Seto and Mokuba were her only friends at the orphanage, but she was obviously uncomfortable talking about it. It eventually came to the point that Morgan became exhausted and fell asleep.

Yugi and the gang left the room and said their goodbyes to Mokuba before heading out.

It's night-time at the hospital and visiting hours ended long before. A nurse is walking down the hall with a tray of food in her hand. She came upon a hospital room with the words "Morgan ?: No Visitors" written on the plaque.

The nurse knocked on the door. "Morgan?" She called. There was no reply, so she entered the room. "I have your dinn-" She never finished her sentence and she dropped the tray, which crashed to the ground. "Doctor! We have an emergency!" She ran out of the room quick as lightning, causing the sheets of the vacant bed to blow in the wind.


	4. Request From a Spirit

"Gah, not again!" Joey yelled, ruffling his hair in a fit.

"Sorry, Joey. I win again," Yugi said with a grin as he collected his earnings.

"How is it I'm lucky when it comes to dueling, but I stink when it comes to BlackJack?" Joey muttered.

Yugi started laughing, but was interrupted when the the sound of clatter was heard. "You hear that?" He asked.

Joey nodded. "Sounded like it came from outside."

They both got to their feet, walked down the stairs from Yugi's room, went through the game shop, and out the front door. It was dark outside, the streets abandoned and the street lights cast a pale illumination, casting shadows that seemed to move with the flickering lightbulbs. Dark clouds were starting to form, blocking out the stars and crescent moon.

There was another noise that sounded like a moan, causing Yugi to turn his head towards it. "It's coming from behind the shop!"

The two friends rushed behind the shop, but what they found stopped them dead in their tracks. Next to a few overturned trash cans was Morgan, lying unconscious on the ground. Her arms were sprawled forward like she had tripped and had tried to soften her landing. They both hurried to her side, Joey kneeling beside her to check her pulse.

"She's out cold," he explained.

"Let's get her inside." Yugi looked up and added, "It looks like it's gonna rain soon."

Joey scooped Morgan up into his arms bridal-style and they hurried back into Yugi's house, just as it started to pour raining Kuribohs.

They walked into the living room and Joey carefully placed Morgan onto the couch, causing her to moan moan a little but remain unconscious.

"What do we do?" Joey asked. "Should we call someone?"

"I don't know, Joey," Yugi replied as he placed a blanket over Morgan. Standing up straight, he crossed his arms over his chest and added "She told us she was eighteen back at the hospital, so she's at the legal age to check herself out. But judging by her condition, I don't think they would let her go so easily."

As the boys continued talking to one another, Morgan's eyes slowly opened, neither of the boys aware.

"Should we call Mokuba?" Joey offered.

"No, it's too late at night to call him. I think we should just wait until she wakes up and ask her what happened then," Yugi concluded.

"You can ask me now."

Joey and Tristan turned to see Morgan sitting up, clutching the blanket at her lap.

"That was quick," Joey commented.

Morgan smiled weakly. "Sorry to have worried you two. I didn't intend on collapsing, taking a few of your trash cans with me."

"It's no big deal," Yugi explained. "But if you don't mind me asking; why were you walking around the city in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah. Shouldn't you be at the hospital resting?" Joey put in.

Morgan's smile disappeared and she looked down. "The answer to Joey's question is that I didn't want to endanger anyone there."

"What do you mean?" Yugi inquired.

Morgan looked at the smaller boy with a sad expression. "There is a man that is after me and he'll do anything to see me dead, even if it means hurting innocent people."

Yugi and Joey gasped and flinched, their eyes wide with shock.

"Someone's trying to _kill_ you!?" Joey exclaimed.

"But why!?" Yugi seemed terrified of the answer.

Morgan sighed, then looked around. "Are you two the only ones here?"

When the boys nodded, Morgan was silent for a moment, then closed her eyes and held out her left hand in front of her. An amber-red sphere of light suddenly appeared in her palm, gaining gasps from Yugi and Joey. The energy it gave off was warm, the glow growing brighter and dimmer in sync with Morgan's breathing. When the light faded, a Duel Monsters deck was left in its place.

Joey rubbed his eyes just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, while Yugi just blinked in shock. Neither of them said a word.

"With me gone, this deck won't be guarded from that man's hands and he would be free to use its powers for his evil reasons," Morgan explained. She looked up at Yugi and added, "The reason as to why I was out in the city this late was because I was looking for _you_."

"M-Me?" Yugi stammered.

Morgan nodded. "I didn't want to mention it early at the hospital because I was worried your friends would get upset."

"Mention what?" Yugi asked.

Morgan glanced at Joey, seemed to debate her options, then sighed. "I know what happened in Egypt, Yugi. I know about the Pharaoh, and how you two once shared the same body through the connection of the Millennium Puzzle. I know that you helped him reach his final resting place, even if you didn't wish for him to go."

Yugi could have sworn his heart stopped right then. It had been nearly two years since Atem had returned to his final resting place. Yugi hadn't thought about his lost friend in quite a while, and hearing someone mention the Pharaoh's name created a giant pit in his stomach. It took all his will-power not to cry as he replied, "How… how do you know all this?"

Morgan placed her left hand on her chest. "Throughout the course of time that I have been on this planet, I have traveled many places. Along my travels, I have met friends of yours, such as Maximillion Pegasus, Professor Hawkins, and the three Ishtar's Marik, Ishizu, and Odion. You see, I also have a past connection with Ancient Egypt, and when I met these people, I told them this and they more often then not spoke of you. I knew then that I had to meet you myself."

Yugi was speechless for several moments. When this new info managed to sink in, he asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

Morgan looked down at her deck and flipped over the top card. "Tell me something; Can you speak to Duel Spirits?"

Before Yugi could answer, Joey blurted out, "Are you _nuts_!? Only psychics can do that! How could Yugi possibly know how?"

"Actually."

Joey turned to his friend with surprise.

"I can," Yugi finished. "But what's that got to do with anything you've told me?"

Morgan smiled. "Would you like to see him?"

Yugi flinched. See Atem again, after all this time? Was that possible?

"It's urgent that I speak with him, and I know you miss him, so I'm giving you the opportunity to have a chance to see him. Also, I kinda need to have you as a medium since you share the strongest bond with him." Morgan tilted her head. "Please?"

"You honestly think you can bring Atem back!?" Joey barked. "You must be crazy! Even if it is possible, there's no way you're gonna have Yugi be used as a host"

"Joey," Yugi said with a worried voice.

Morgan laughed. "Why does everyone think the moment someone mentions bringing back spirits they think it involves one being possessed? Honestly, that whole ghosts-possessing-your-friends thing is nothing but sci-fi. You need to get out more."

Joey was about to argue more, but Yugi cut him off. "I'll do it, if it means seeing Atem again." A sad yet hopeful look was on his face as he said this.

Morgan nodded. "Alright. Let's get started."

XXXXX

Yugi took Morgan to his room, since that was where the slightest presence of Atem was strongest in the household. Joey was forced to wait downstairs, despite his objections.

Yugi became more and more nervous as he watched Morgan place her Duel Monsters cards around him in a circle. She never said a single word, but when she sensed that Yugi was uneasy, she stopped what she was doing and looked at him with a reassuring smile.

When Morgan was down to her last card, she sat directly in front of Yugi. She took a deep breath and said, "Embarr, we're ready."

The card in her hand glowed with the same amber light and suddenly, a transparent spirit that looked much like an large fox appeared at Morgan's side. The fox was the size of a miniature pony, with soft amber-red eyes and at least four separate tails swishing and curling behind it. Unsurprisingly though, Yugi only slightly flinched at the sight of the beautiful creature.

_"It is an honor to finally meet you, Yugi Mutou,"_ the fox greeted with a feminine voice, though her mouth did not move. _"I am Guardian of Embarr, Royal Protector, but you can simply call me Embarr."_

Yugi nodded his head. "It's nice to meet you. Um… So, how exactly are we gonna be able to see the Pharaoh?"

Embarr giggled like a mother would at her child's cuteness. _"Like Morgan explained earlier, the cards that surround you now each hold a unique gift that makes them part of the Guardians of Embarr deck. By combining their powers into one source, we should be able to contact those that are no longer in this world,"_ she explained.

"Should?" Yugi questioned.

Embarr sighed and bowed her head. _"As of late, we have been unable to maintain contact with The Spirit World. I believe this is partly Corridor's doing, the man that is after Morgan and the deck that is under her protection. However,"_ she looked back up with hopeful eyes and added, _"I am confident that it will work with you here. I must warn you though, young one; summoning spirits requires a great deal of energy and you may experience great pain."_

"But don't worry, Yugi. I'll try to take as much of the recoil as possible, so the worst thing that would happen to you would be having a pretty bad headache afterwards," Morgan put in reassuringly.

Embarr nodded. _"With all of this said; Do you still wish to proceed with the ceremony?"_

"Yes," Yugi replied confidently. "This isn't just for my sake, but you two as well. Right?"

Embarr seemed to grin. _"Very true, young one. Well put."_ She turned to Morgan and added. _"Morgan, give him the charm."_

"Right." Morgan stood up, reached into her jeans pocket, and pulled out an Egyptian-style golden anklet. She walked over to Yugi and placed the anklet around his left wrist. It dangled loosely for a moment before glowing slightly and tightening around Yugi's wrist. "This bracelet will protect you from the worst of the pain and any possible influence of Corridor's that you may run into later on."

Yugi only nodded slightly and studied his gift. Ancient hieroglyphics were carved all around, a few characters he recognized but could not remember their meaning at the moment.

With preparations done, Morgan returned to her spot in front of the teen. She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, and then suddenly began to glow a familiar amber-red light. Together, she and Embarr prayed out loud, _"To protect the way of the Guardians, the daughter of Adom and Dendera, and sister of Meskhnet, Agymah, and Chenzira, requests the powers of those that are no longer of this world, so she may connect with The Spirit World. Please grant her this power so she may keep The Shadows out of The World of Light!"_

Yugi could have sworn he heard the name Morgan had murmured back at the hospital, but he had no time to question said girl when Embarr and all of the cards around him began to glow the same as Morgan. Yugi's heart began to race, but he stayed calm none the less.

Morgan opened her eyes and smiled at Yugi. She continued on as she asked. "Yugi Mutou; Are you willing to connect to The Spirit World so your request may be fulfilled?"

"Yes," Yugi replied. "Let me see Atem."

As if those words were the key, the light coming from the cards swiftly increased in brightness. Morgan had closed her eyes again and her red-brown hair started to float above her head like she was in water. Yugi immediately felt a strange sensation across his body that made him feel numb, but a majority of it quickly vanished when the hieroglyphs on his bracelet glowed with a golden light.

The lights came together and started to form something in front of Morgan and Yugi. At first, it was nothing more than a tall object, but as the light shifted and grew brighter, the form seemed to materialize into something more recognizable, with arms, legs and a head. Soon, clothes came into the picture. Yugi held his breath as the light faded from the figure and the transparent spirit of an old friend was left in its place.

Atem, who was in his royal attire and head was bowed, opened his eyes to see someone he did not expect to. "Yugi? Is that you?"

Tears leaked from Yugi's eyes and he smiled. "Hi, Atem."


	5. Visiting Old Friends

"I don't understand. How is it that I'm here right now?" Atem thought aloud, looking around Yugi's room in confusion.

"I can answer that, Pharaoh."

Atem and Yugi turned to see Morgan, though what she looked like at that moment made Yugi gasp. No longer was she in her dirty white blouse and torn denim jeans; instead, she was adorned in a beautiful tannish-white sleeveless dress - which revealed the bandages wrapped around her right shoulder- that went to her feet, a golden, belt-like band tightly around her waist, and many pieces of Egyptian jewelry, including antique-style necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a crown of lilies made of amber atop her head of red-brown hair. Her skin was also much more tan, like Atem's, and the amber light faintly outlined her body.

Embarr was also no where to be seen.

"Who are you?" Atem inquired, the hint of kingly demand present in his voice.

Morgan got to her feet and looked at the former pharaoh with a soft yet confident smile. She placed the hand of her uninjured shoulder on her chest and said, "Like Seto Kaiba, I _also_ had a past life in Ancient Egypt, but destiny meant for me to be reborn in this time. In this time, I go by the name Morgan Halo, but my past name was Masika, Princess of the city Embarr… and I need your help, My Pharaoh."

Atem looked at Morgan suspiciously. "I've never heard of that city. How can I trust you if I've never seen you in The Spirit World?"

"Embarr was the capital of its own kingdom, My King; and unfortunately, much like you once had, destiny has prevented me from finding peace."

Hearing this, Atem felt sympathy for the girl. It had been hard for him, waiting 5,000 years for someone to solve the Millennium Puzzle. It was uncertain as to how long Morgan's spirit had wandered, but it was obvious that it was a very long time if she knew of him. "What can I possibly do? My purpose in this world has ended," he explained.

Morgan sighed. "Though it's true that you defeated Zorc, the being of darkness itself, there is another being that threatens to bring this world into darkness. Now it is time for your heir to finish _his_ destiny."

Yugi gasped and was on his feet in an instant. "Wait; you mean Kaiba?"

Morgan looked at him and nodded.

"Not to sound negative, but Kaiba refuses to believe that he had a past life in Egypt, even when he traveled to the past with us," Yugi explained.

Morgan nodded again. "Yes, I know. That is why I need the help of you, Pharaoh," she said, turning back to Atem. "Even if it's for a short time, I need you to take me to The Spirit World."

Atem was taken aback. What she was asking for made no sense. "Why must you go there if Kaiba is the one that you need?"

Morgan sighed. "If he's going to accept his past life, I need to speak with the Seto from _your_ time. I can give him the power to communicate with his present self, but he has to remember who _I_ am first and the only way to do that is for me to see him myself. Please, My King; the fate of the world is at stake!" There was deep desperation in her voice.

Atem turned to his aibou. "What do you think, Yugi?"

Yugi looked at his closest friend with soft eyes and nodded his head. "I trust her, Atem. What's she told me as well as you, she must be telling us the truth if she knows so much."

Morgan smiled. "Thank-you, Yugi."

Atem smiled as well and nodded his head to Yugi before turning back to Morgan. "Very well; if Yugi trusts you as a friend, then you are my friend as well." He held out his hand for Morgan to take and asked, "Shall we go?"

Morgan took his hand and the amber light around her suddenly increased in brightness. She looked at Yugi and said "Watch over my body while I'm gone, okay?" When Yugi nodded, she added, "And keep an eye out; I sensed Corridor's presence earlier and he may still be lingering around."

With that, she split in two; Masika becoming a spirit and Morgan separating from her spirit and collapsing to the ground. Yugi watched as Masika and Atem grew in brightness and then disappeared in a flash. The cards surrounding Yugi all lost their glow and merely laid there on the carpet.

Yugi waited a few moments before he walked over to Morgan's body. He struggled but managed to safely place her in his bed. He pulled the light blankets up to the soulless girl's neck, then went downstairs to tell Joey what had happened, leaving the cards where Morgan had left them in case they would activate again upon her spirit's return.

XXXXX

Masika didn't know what to expect when she arrived at the Spirit World, but one thing was for certain; she didn't expect it to appear the same as it had when _she_ had lived in Ancient Egypt.

The marketplace was as lively as it would be in the land of the living. Merchants called out for people to try their wonderful food, fortunetellers whispered to those that passed them that they could have their futures read, and performers danced, sang, or charmed snakes, gaining gold coins from impressed spectators.

Atem and Masika passed through the streets, offering greetings when greeted and politely turning down those who tried to sell them something.

They had just reached the outer courtyard of the palace when a familiar brunette-haired girl jumped out from behind a pillar, wrapping her body around Atem and nearly bringing him to the ground.

"Atem!I've been looking _everywhere_ for you. Where have you been?" She saw that Masika was behind the former pharaoh and asked "Who's your friend?"

Masika giggled before placing her right hand on her chest in greeting. "Greetings. My name is Masika. I'm just a simple colleague of Pharaoh Atem's."

Atem removed his long childhood friend from his body and looked at Masika. "I see us as quite more than just mutual friends if you're friends with Yugi," he stated. Masika's eyes grew wide in surprise, gaining a laugh from the former king. "Don't worry; Mana knows of Yugi and the others. She met them when they traveled into the past." He started to head towards the palace, his two friends close behind.

"Wait, so you're like that boy who looks just like Atem, and his friends?" Mana inquired with a questionable look.

Masika inclined her head slightly. "In some way, yes. Although I would be more than willing to explain it to you, my time here is limited, and it is urgent that I speak to Seto right away."

"Seto?" Mana repeated. "I haven't seen him all day,"

Masika smiled. "I have a feeling I know where he is. If I know him, he should be cooped up in the royal library."

They passed the large gate doors and entered the inner courtyard.

"How can you be sure of that?" Mana asked.

Before Masika could answer, she spotted a tall man at the archway to the palace. He wore a decorative purple galabeya that fell to his feet and a white headpiece with a golden cobra at the crest of his forehead. His face was sharp and he had a gray mustache and beard, but there was obvious kindness in his eyes when he spotted Atem.

"Ah, my son," the man said with a deep voice. "I was going to tell you that Mana was looking for you, but it seems she has already found you," he added with a laugh.

Masika and Mana stayed where they were as Atem walked up to his father and bowed respectfully.

Aknamkanon smiled and patted his son on the shoulder. He looked over to Mana and for the first time noticed Masika. His eyes grew wide a little in surprise as he walked past his son and was soon standing in front of Masika. Mana instinctively bowed, but the former pharaoh paid no attention to the young spell-caster. Instead, he studied Masika, as if trying to place a familiar face. "Dendera?" He finally asked.

But Masika shook her head. "No, Pharaoh Aknamkanon. Dendera is… was, my mother. I am her and Adom's second eldest, Masika." She then bowed her head and curtsied.

Aknamkanon's eyes softened as he smiled and placed his hands on Masika's shoulders, forcing the girl to look up. "Masika, you look _just_ like your mother. You've become quite the beautiful woman," he said.

Masika looked down again and blushed under the compliment.

"Father, you know her?" Atem asked, walking up to him and Masika.

"Yes," Aknamkanon replied, looking at his son. "Masika's parents and I were very good friends. The last time I saw them was before you were born, and Masika here was but a small child." He looked back at Masika and lifted her chin in a kind manner so that their eyes met. "I am curious though. How is it that your family is yet to visit us here? Surely Adom and Dendera aren't too busy with their city to come and visit an old friend."

It was then that tears began to well up and spill from Masika's eyes. She pulled her head gently away from Aknamkanon's hands and tried her best not to let out her pitiful noises of sobbing. "I'm sorry, my Pharaoh, but my family cannot visit because… they are prisoners of The Shadow Realm.

Mana was the only one to gasp as she put her hands over her mouth, but it was obvious that this news surprised Atem, and Aknamkanon looked down and clenched his hands into fists, a look of sorrow on his face.

"How did it happen?" Aknamkanon asked, half to himself.

"I-I wish I could tell you, My King," Masika began, wiping away some of her tears with her arm. "But the memory itself is too much to bear, and I'm afraid that my time here is limited."

Aknamkanon nodded. "Yes, I sensed that you are not yet a resident of this world." He turned Masika by the shoulders so she was facing him. "Just know that if there is anything you need, just let me be aware of it, and I will do what I can to help."

Masika's tears stopped and she smiled. "Thank you, Pharaoh Aknamkanon. I will be sure to do just that.

XXXXX

Afterwards, Mana had left to do training with her master Mahado, and after walking around the palace and asking about the whereabout of Seto, Atem and Masika confirmed that he was very much in the library. When they had just a few steps from their destination, Kisara came out of the doorway. She was holding several papyrus scrolls against her chest and was leaving when she saw Atem.

"Oh, hello, Pharaoh Atem," Kisara greeted as she walked up to the former king. She bowed, dropping one of the scrolls.

Atem quickly reached out a hand and caught the scroll, then handed it back to the white-haired girl. "Is Seto in there?" He indicated to the library.

"Y-Yes," Kisara stammered nervously. "He wanted me to look into something for him."

"Well then, I won't keep you waiting," Atem replied.

Kisara simply nodded her head and headed off in the opposite direction in a cheery manner.

"She sure seems happy," Masika put out.

Atem nodded. "She and Seto are quite close. Even now, her Ka protects Kaiba."

They both walked into the royal library and just like Kisara had said, Seto was there, reading through several papyrus scrolls and small stone tablets that lay scattered on the table.

He must have heard them come in, for he looked up from his work and saw Atem. "Pharaoh Atem, what can I do for you?" He asked, getting up from his chair.

"There's someone here who wishs to speak with you," Atem explained. He stepped aside to reveal Masika behind him.

Masika walked over the table and bowed her head to Seto. "It's been a long time, Pharaoh Seto."

Seto just blinked at the girl. "Do I _know_ you?"

_Oh how much he and his present form are so alike, even in attitude,_ Masika thought to herself. She put a hand to her mouth and giggled, gaining a confused look from Seto. "You really haven't changed," Masika explained between her laughter. "I cannot say that you are at fault for not recognizing me. After all, we were merely children when last we saw each other."

Seto continued to look at this stranger, wondering who she was. Finally he managed to say, "I feel like I know you from somewhere."

Masika stopped her laughing and placed her hand on her chin in thought, trying to think of a way that would trigger his memory of her. After all, she couldn't go straight out with telling him her name, otherwise the spell couldn't work, and she knew that Corridor had ears in the Spirit World, so the less she revealed herself here, the better. Asking Embarr to appear was also out of the question, for her presence would be known by Corridor's spies in an instant.

That's when Masika remembered a certain event in her childhood. With this in mind, she let her hand fall to her side and reached for her left ear. She removed the small earring from it, then did the same with the one on her other ear. Then she put them both in the palm of her right hand and showed it to Seto. "Do you recognize these? You _were_ the one who made them for me, after all."

The earrings were beautiful, round stones of the purest stone of amber. Well, they weren't _completely_ round; it was obvious that unpracticed hands had made them, yet the glory of the earrings and the love and dedication that the maker put into it was crystal clear.

It was then that Seto remembered.

[Flashback]

Young Seto and his mother are walking down a marketplace road, heading back to their home from the river. A jug is on his mother's head, while Seto struggles with the bucket that he carries with both his hands.

"Seto!" A voice calls from behind them in the distance.

Seto and his mother turn to see a small girl in a royal linen gown riding towards them on a large, white fox-creature.

Seto smiles, but quickly realizes the fox is coming towards them far too fast. Before he cam warn the girl, the fox skids to a sudden halt, throwing the girl over its head and sending her crashing into Seto, forcing the bucket to fly and the water dumping on top of them with one big splash.

"S-Sorry," the girl says at first, but when she sees what the water had done to her friend, she bursts out in laughter.

Seto's hair is in a complete mess, dripping and falling flat on his head.

Seto just pouts. "That's not funny, Princess Masika. You could have gotten hurt. You need to learn to control that thing," he retorted, indicating to the fox creature that was now nuzzling Seto's mother softly.

"Don't blame Embarr; she's still just a kid, like us. It's not _her_ fault she was excited to see you," the girl stated.

At the sound of its name, the fox-beast came over to the two human children and gave Seto a big lick on the cheek.

Masika laughed, and Seto eventually gave in and laughed as well.

[Flashback ends]

Seto cupped his hands around Masika's one hand and smiled at her. "It's been so long, Princess Masika."


	6. Welcome to The Kaiba Mansion

Masika could no longer take it and gave her long-lost friend a huge hug around the neck, slightly surprising Seto. Seto was much taller than her, yet she still managed to place her head on his shoulders when she stood on her toes "I missed you," Masika said over and over again as she started cry tears of joy.

Seto gently placed his hands on Masika's shoulders and pulled her away from him so that they were facing each other. He made one of his rare smiles and wiped away his childhood companion's tears. "As did I, Princess."

Masika smiled as well and wiped away her tears for the second time that day. "There's so much I wish to tell you…" she trailed off and her eyes drifted into the distance. "But, that must wait for another time, for I cannot stay here."

As if on cue, a familiar amber light appeared around Masika and her body suddenly began to fade, then solidify, and fade once more.

"What's happening!?" Seto asked in shock, his eyes wide.

Atem was not as surprised, for he had a feeling that this would happen when time was nearly up.

"Do not be afraid, my friend," Masika reassured. "You see, my time of peace is not upon us, and I soon must return to the world of the living." She became transparent again and this time did not solidify. Acting quickly, she held out the hand that still had her earrings. "Take these, Seto. The world is in _danger_ and I need your help."

Seto took the earrings and looked at them. "What do you need me to do?"

Masika's body was becoming more and more dimmer "With those, you can communicate with your reborn self. If the world is to survive, I need him to accept his past and remember _everything_. Do whatever you must to make him accept you." She turned to Atem and added, "Please assist him in any way you can. Promise?"

Atem nodded. "I will, do not worry."

Masika turned back to Seto just as he held out a hand. She cupped it with both her hands and held it at her cheek. When she spoke again, her voice sounded like she was very far away. "We will meet again, my friend." And with that, she completely disappeared from the scene.

XXXXX

It turned out that Morgan was right. For the next hour, Yugi had a troublesome headache that would not go away, even when he made himself tea and took some pain relief pills.

As for Joey, he was furious when he saw Yugi come down the stairs and nearly pass out at the last step. He went on and on about how he knew something like this would happen, how he _knew_ that Yugi would be hurt in some way, and that he should have never gone through with whatever had happened up there.

Yugi simply let his friend rant on, but when Joey was out of things to say, he simply returned back to his room. Morgan was still soulless, so Yugi simply sat at his desk and waited for Masika to return. For the most part, he just watched the rain and listened to it pound on the roof and skylight, but from time to time turned to see how Morgan was doing. Every time he looked at her, however, she remained the same; silent and unresponsive. But Yugi wasn't worried; he knew all that was needed was time.

XXXXX

He must have fallen asleep, for the next thing Yugi knew, he heard birds chirping and felt something soft and warm around his shoulders. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to see that the sun had just risen and the sky was starting to become a light blue, no sign of last night's storm present. At the thought of the previous evening, Yugi looked over to his bed- causing the blanket that was draped over his shoulders to fall to the ground- but relaxed when he saw that Morgan was still in his bed. She had a peaceful look on her face and her breathing showed that her soul had returned.

He saw that Morgan's cards had been picked up at one point, for they were no longer on the floor. Yugi could only guess that Morgan had used her power to hide it like last time. She seemed to be sleeping so peacefully, careful not to lay on her injured shoulder, so Yugi quietly scooted out of his chair and left the room.

Downstairs, Joey was sprawled out on the couch, snoring loudly and drool coming out of his mouth. "No… that's _my_ cheeseburger, Tristan," he mumbled.

Yugi just laughed and shook his head.

It was then that the phone rang, though _that_ didn't seem to wake up the blonde teen. He simply moaned in annoyance a little and started to mumble on again about food.

Yugi left the room, went into the kitchen, and answered the cordless phone. "Muto residence, Yugi speaking."

_"Yugi? It's Mokuba,"_ the voice on the other line said.

_Uh-oh,_ Yugi thought. "H-Hey, Mokuba. What's up?" He asked, trying his best not to sound nervous.

_"It's bad, Yugi,"_ Mokuba said. _"The hospital called and said Morgan's gone! She just vanished."_

_I knew it._ "Are they sure she didn't just check herself out?" Yugi offered.

_"They checked. She just disappeared,"_ Mokuba's voice was beginning to fill with more and more concern. _"Seto's too busy today, so me and about half of KaibaCorp's staff are searching for her. I thought maybe you may know where she might be."_

"Um…" Yugi's heart was starting to race with nervousness, unsure of what to do. He rubbed the back of his head as if to try to think of something, just as the phone was taken away from his ear from behind. He turned to see Morgan, a refreshed look on her face.

Morgan smiled at him and winked reassuringly before putting the phone to her right ear. "Mokuba, it's Morgan," she said.

_"Morgan!? Thank goodness. Seto and I were worried about you!"_

A smirk appeared on Morgan's face. "Seto was _worried_ about me? That sounds nothing like the Seto Kaiba _I_ know."

_"Well, he was. Anyway; we'll be right over to come get you."_ Before Morgan could object, Mokuba hung up, leaving a continuous buzz of the open line.

Twenty minutes later, Morgan was in Kaiba's private car, Roland at the wheel and Mokuba sitting beside Morgan in the back seat.

"I _would_ call Seto, but he's gonna be in a meeting all day," Mokuba explained.

Morgan smiled at him. "That's alright. We'll just have some fun without him."

And for the whole day, they hung out together. Mokuba helped Morgan buy some better clothes than the rags of her ripped blouse and pants at the local mall, and Morgan rewarded his patience with ice-cream. They also went to the newly-opened KaibaLand. Fast roller coasters, calm merry-go-rounds, and wonderful food filled their day.

When they arrived at the Kaiba mansion just before it became dark, they were greeted by the many maids of the household. Mokuba and Morgan shared a wonderful dinner; Mokuba having some type of fancy soup, while Morgan settled for what she believed was the best Caesar salad she had ever had. Afterwards, they settled in the living room. Mokuba asked why she had left the hospital, but Morgan simply stated that she felt that she was a burden to the staff and that she was much better after he visited her.

Mokuba soon fell asleep, and Roland helped Morgan carry him off to bed. Morgan tucked him in like she had done back at the orphanage and silently left the room.

XXXXX

When Kaiba got home, no one was there to greet him, since it was late at night and most of the staff had gone to bed. He loosened his tie as he walked up the stairs to check on Mokuba. He was surprised to see Morgan leaning against the wall just outside of his brother's room, her eyes closed.

"He really cares a lot about you," Morgan said with a smile. She opened her eyes to look at Kaiba with her soft, ocean-blue eyes and pushed herself off the wall. No longer was she in her torn shirt and pants, but instead was adorned in a knee-length, sky-blue summer dress with a slight flower pattern along the edges and white leggings. Her red-brown hair was tied in a french-braid that draped over her bandaged right shoulder.

"Where were you?" Kaiba asked in a demanding manner, then realized his tone and relaxed with a sigh.

"I was at Yugi Muto's. I _would_ tell you why I was there, but you don't believe in Egyptian magic; am I right?" Morgan smirked.

"Oh great. Not you too," Kaiba grumbled.

Morgan laughed. "You always _were_ the stubborn one," she simply said, then walked passed Kaiba and down the hall, leaving said boy gawking.

Just outside the gates of the Kaiba mansion, a familiar black-cladded figure stared at the house beyond.

"I can feel that blasted pharaoh's presence," the man muttered. "I should have attacked her today when she wasn't around _him_." He saw a squirrel across the road and sent a sphere of darkness towards it with his hand. The squirrel's tail caught fire and it rushed off in a panic, causing the man to grin in delight. "I simply need to have patience," he concluded and disappeared once again in a puff of black smoke.


	7. Tour of Domino City

_"Masika, we shouldn't be here."_ Embarr's voice said in the pitch black darkness. _"What if Corridor finds out? You're vulnerable in this world."_

"I don't have a choice, Embarr." Masika replied. "You said it yourself; We have to find out if my family are _truly_ prisoners here. If they've been lost for good, then there's no point in putting everyone at risk."

Silence followed, only the sound of Masika and Embarr's footsteps present. A hallway that was dimly lit by a eerie purple glow soon came into view. Its archway was round, not straight and rectangular. As Masika and Embarr entered it, sounds of moaning and crying began to be heard. The stone walls soon gave way to glass, water on the other side and spirits swimming by, moaning and running their hands along the glass in an attempt to ask for help. Embarr shivered at the foreboding sounds and negative energy the unlucky souls of The Shadow Realm gave off, while Masika simply kept her eyes forward, intent on her mission and letting nothing distracting her.

When they came close to the end of the hall, the "soul aquariums" were replaced by stone walls once more. The hall came to a dead end, but Masika bravely walked up to the wall across and rubbed away the grime to reveal another glass wall.

"Chenzira," Masika called out softly. "Chenzira, can you hear me?"

There was movement on the other side. A few heartbeats later, a sphere the size of a tennis-ball that glowed a faint gold appeared in front of the glass. The object seemed to shift in shape and soon a boy was left in its place. He looked just slightly older than Masika, with a sharp face, short blonde hair that floated over his head like a halo, and had the softest aquamarine-colored eyes. His lower body was blurred, so Masika could hardly make out his linen skirt and the egyptian golden necklace that lay flat against his bare chest.

"Masika? Is that you, sister?" the boy asked in a whisper. Even though he was on the other side of the glass, his voice was clear as a bell. He placed his right hand on the glass.

Said girl did the same and tears filled her eyes. "I've missed you, Chenzira. Is everyone with you?"

Her brother nodded. "Yes, but Father and Mother are getting weaker. It's only a matter of time before the shadows _completely_ consume them."

"That's not going to happen," Masika argued. "The Pharaoh is helping me."

"The Pharaoh?" Chenzira repeated. His eyes then grew wide with understanding. "You don't mean…"

Masika nodded. "I'm with his present self now. It's only a matter of time before Corridor is taken down and we can all finally be together again."

Chenzira smiled sweetly. "I'll be waiting." He then faded away.

/

"If you add this to the mainframe, then connect these two wires into the power grid, then the projection will have much clarity and sound will improve by about 107%" Morgan explained. She was standing beside Kaiba in his home office, looking over improvement plans for the Duel Disk. Several different blueprints were laid out on the desk for them to go over.

"I was thinking that as well," Kaiba replied. "However, if we connected those wires, it would short out the grid the moment the Duel Disk was turned on."

"Not if you add this small program to the data base." Morgan pointed to another blueprint. "It's quite common, but very effective in countering any energy that would cause a burn-out."

Kaiba nodded. "That could work. I'll have my programers test this right away." He looked at Morgan and added, "How do you know so much about holographic programming?"

Morgan smiled. "At one time, when I was traveling, I stayed with a man in America who was _actually_ a scientist for N.A.S.A. in the training division. He created a virtual environment for astronauts to train in. He kinda showed me the basics, and I kinda got interested in it and began to study." She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "The librarians always looked at me kinda weird when I requested books on advanced holographic technology and programming."

"What were they expecting? Doll making and sewing?" Seto seriously joked.

This caused Morgan to burst out in laughter. "God, I missed your funny side. You always made life at the orphanage more tolerant with it."

Kaiba scowled. "What are you talking about?"

Morgan stopped her laughing and made a soft, questionable look. "What happened that made you like this?"

Kaiba relaxed and looked down. "Gozaburo Kaiba happened," he simply replied.

A long silence followed. Kaiba seemed to detached as horrible memories of his childhood came, and Morgan was mentally kicking herself for asking such a personal question. At least a minute had passed when Mokuba came into the room.

"Morgan, there you are," Mokuba said, then saw how his brother and Morgan were close together. "Oh, sorry, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Morgan quickly shook her head. "N-No, I was just helping Seto with some programming plans. What's up?"

Mokuba looked unconvinced, but went on anyway. "Yugi and the others are downstairs. They were wondering if you wanted to hang out with them today?"

Morgan was surprised by the announcement. She looked at Kaiba.

But Kaiba shook his head. "It's alright. I'm going to give these plans to the programmers anyway, and I have a meeting in an hour."

Morgan made a sympathetic smile. "Okay, Seto. See you later, then." She went out the door, with Mokuba close behind.

Just as Mokuba had said, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Téa, and even Serenity were all downstairs, sitting in chairs and on couches in the waiting room. They all turned and smiled when they saw Morgan, then got up.

"Good to see you on your feet," Téa said sweetly. She looked Morgan up and down and added, "Cute outfit."

Morgan was wearing a tan tank-top with brown lacing on the straps and sewing line, and a short denim skirt. "Thanks. It's much better than those rags I use to call clothes,"she joked.

Everyone laughed. Morgan used this opportunity to take a quick glance at Yugi's wrist. She was relieved to see that he still had the bracelet on, though he tried his best to cover it with the sleeve of his school jacket.

"Shall we go?" Yugi said when the laughing died down.

As they all began to leave, Morgan promised Mokuba that she would be back before sunset. They all took a bus that led into town, and Téa explained to Morgan how she had thought it would be an awesome idea if they gave her a tour of Domino City.

On the ride there, Morgan was able to get a moment with Yugi. "Thank-you," she whispered

Yugi looked at her with a confused look. "For what?"

Morgan smiled, then indicated to the half-concealed bracelet around his wrist. "For the other night, and for keeping the bracelet. If we ever get the chance, I'll explain _everything_."

Yugi only nodded and turned back to watch the city pass by.

The day was beautiful, perfect for walking around and enjoying the activity of Domino. The gang showed Morgan all the hot spots, including the arcade, park, and KaibaDome. From time to time they stopped to watch a group of kids duel, and they later got burgers at the new restaurant.

It was the first time since her arrival in Domino City where Morgan could relax and not worry about Corridor showing up. As long as Yugi kept the bracelet on, everyone was safe from the man's evil clutches.

They were all walking around the park when Morgan finally spoke up. "I think it's time I told you all."

Everyone stopped and looked at her with questionable looks, except for Yugi, who merely looked at her with understanding.

"Let's all go to my place," Yugi said.

Morgan nodded in thanks.

/

Yugi's grandfather was not due back from his trip from visiting with Professor Hawkins until late that night, so the game shop was closed and Yugi and the others had the house to themselves.

Once they had all settled into the living room, Morgan went on explaining about what had happened the other night to Joey and the others. They were all quite surprised when they heard that she knew about Atem. It even brought Téa near the brink of tears remembering the Pharaoh. They were even more surprised when Morgan continued and stated how, like Kaiba, she had a past life in Ancient Egypt. Then came the part where she told them about the ritual that she and Yugi went through. Morgan was not all that surprised that the others were not quite pleased with the danger she could have put Yugi through, for which she was ashamed. But she felt slightly better when Yugi defended her actions.

Once Morgan was done, Yugi revealed his bracelet to the others, gaining a few gasps and curious looks from his friends. He looked at Morgan and asked, "I've been wondering what these hieroglyphs mean. Could you tell me?"

Morgan nodded. "It's a charm that was designed by a master magician five thousand years ago in the city Embarr. Their purpose was to protect the bearer from the influence of Corridor, the man who is after me."

"Wait; so you're saying that the _same_ guy who's trying to kill you now _also_ existed five thousand years ago!?" Joey exclaimed.

"Yes," Morgan replied. Turning back to Yugi she added, "The symbols on the bracelet states this: 'Thee bearer of this gift, may thee be protected from the Great Darkness, and become a member of The Court of The Guardians of Embarr.' Basically, as long as you wear that bracelet, Corridor can't touch you and you are a Guardian of Embarr, who's purpose is to protect the sole survivor of Embarr, Princess Masika."

"You mean... I'm your _guardian_?" Yugi asked with a slightly scared voice.

Morgan nodded. "Correct. There's no need for me to give Kaiba this gift, since in his past life he and I were connected. You don't need to worry though; you went through a lot when you were together with the Pharaoh, and I didn't want any harm to come to you, otherwise Pharaoh Atem would have my _head_ when I returned to The Spirit World if you got hurt." Yugi made a surprised face, making Morgan laugh. "Don't look so surprised; just because he's gone doesn't mean he's left you for good . A piece of his spirit watches you even now."


	8. Journey Through His Past Life

**Author's Note: I just wanted to give a quick thank-you to spiritrunner181 for the wonderful review. I always have a difficult time plotting out the story while still keeping the main cast seem as natural as they would appear in the manga/anime, but I sometimes am amazed myself at how well people take the end result. I truly thank you for that. Now, enjoy the chapter and please, no flames, or else Embarr will come and use those flames to burn you to a crisp! Bwahahaha!**

/

As she had promised, Morgan returned to the Kaiba mansion before sundown. She was pleased to see that Kaiba had come home early to spend time with her and Mokuba. After another wonderful dinner, they all settled in the living room as Morgan told her childhood friends about her travels. She reluctantly explained her reasoning for leaving the orphanage simply as she couldn't stand the negative thoughts of her and thought best to just leave, even if it meant leaving her only two friends behind. She really wanted to tell them the truth about her past, but knew that the time to reveal who she truly was was not yet upon them.

Either way, Mokuba and Kaiba enjoyed her tales. Seto explained how his programmers had tested her design and it was a complete success. He also said that with a few more tests, the upgrade should be made available by the end of summer.

Just like the previous night, Mokuba fell asleep, and Morgan helped Kaiba put him to bed. After that, Morgan excused herself and retreated to her room.

"Where am I?" Kaiba muttered. He was standing in what appeared to be a throne room. It was enormous, at least the size of half a football field. Amber-red and orange linen drapes hung from the walls, tied together to form a wave-like pattern. The light was warm, but not hot. Two thrones that seemed to made of amber itself-one slightly larger than the other- and a mat the same color could be seen across from where he stood. The beautiful sound of harps could be slightly heard.

"She was right. You really _don't_ remember anything," a voice said from behind.

Kaiba turned around and was surprised when he saw _himself_. Well, rather the one Yugi had tried to convince him that it was in a past life. He looked just like he had in that vision back in Egypt, with the fancy egyptian clothing and whatnot. "Great; now I _know_ I'm dreaming."

Seto studied him. "Am I really that arrogant?" He questioned himself.

"Stop acting like you're _me_, because you're _not_." Kaiba retorted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"She said you'd be like this," Seto said with a small laugh. "Looks like I got my hands full."

"Who's this 'she' you keep going on about?" Kaiba asked, still irritated.

"Maybe I should _show_ you instead." Seto reached behind his back, and when he pulled it back, Kaiba gasped at the sight of a familiar item.

"That's the Millennium Rod! How can you possibly have it?"

Seto didn't answer and instead activated the Millennium Rod. The eye glowed gold and Kaiba quickly covered his eyes with his arm to prevent from being blinded. When the light faded, Kaiba lowered his arm and was surprised to see that he was no longer in the throne room; he was now standing in a bedroom of sorts. There was a wardrobe made of fine oak next to a large doorway that led to a balcony, and a queen-sized bed on the other side of the room.

On the bed, however, was what caused Kaiba's heart to skip a beat. The Morgan he knew from the orphanage was sitting there. She wore a gorgeous tan-colored linen gown that draped over her legs and was adorned in several pieces of jewelry, including a flower crown made of gold that settled upon her head of red-brown hair. She was softly petting a white fox-like creature that cuddled at her side and was peacefully napping, its four tails curling and uncurling in pleasure.

"Princess Masika," a voice called.

The girl as well as Kaiba turned to the balcony to see who had spoken. This time, however, Kaiba merely watched a raggedy version of his younger self climb over the railing of the balcony.

"Seto, what are you doing here? What if the guards caught you?" Masika said in a worried tone. She jumped off her bed- causing the fox to awaken- and hugged Seto.

Seto hugged the girl back, then the two of them separated. "There's something I want to give to you," Seto said. "He reached for the small pouch that was tied to the band around his waist and pulled it loose. He placed it in Masika's hands and told her to open it.

Masika did just that and when she tipped the pouch over, a pair of beautiful round earrings made of amber fell out. They glistened in the sunlight that came from the balcony the same way Morgan's eyes did. "Oh, Seto; they're so pretty."

Seto smiled. "I'm glad you like them. My mother helped me make them."

Masika looked at him and hugged her friend once more. "This is so sweet of you, Seto." Her face then formed to one of confusion. "But, why the sudden gift?"

Seto looked down. "My mother has decided that it's time we left Embarr."

Masika's eyes grew wide with shock. "What!? But why? Aren't you two happy here?"

"Of course we are, Princess. I've been asking her why we have to, but she only says that it's too dangerous for us to stay here,"' Seto explained, looking out towards the balcony. "She feels that we have to be in the land of The Pharaoh, for our own protection."

"But-" Masika began, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"No buts. I can't abandon my mother. Not now." Seto refused to meet eyes with her. However, he looked down when he felt something soft rubbing against him. The fox creature was rubbing its pointed head on his thigh, making a sort of purring sound. Seto gave a sympathetic look and petted the white animal on the head. "I'll miss you too, Embarr."

"Is there anything I can do to help with your journey?" Masika asked. "Anything at all?"

Seto finally met eyes with her and smiled. "Just promise that you'll be careful, and that one day we may meet again."

Masika smiled in response and wiped away her tears. "Alright, Seto." She held out her pinky. "It's a deal."

Seto held out his pinky and wrapped it around with Masika's, then hugged his friend.

The scene faded and Kaiba once again found himself in the throne room, his look-alike still standing in front of him. His head was pounding and he fought the urge not to hold it, fearing it show a sign of weakness.

Seto lowered the Millennium Rod and placed it back behind him. "Are they starting to come back to you?" he asked.

Kaiba pushed away his pain and huffed. "Please. You honestly think I'd fall for something as ridiculous as that? When are you people going to realize that there's no possible way I could have lived five thousand years?"

Seto closed his eyes and sighed. "Masika, I sure hope you're right about him," he muttered to himself. Turning back to Kaiba, he added, "I made a promise to Princess Masika, and I intend on keeping it."

With that, everything went white and Kaiba bolted up in his bed, his breath coming in gasps and sweat beading down his neck and face.

/

A few days later, Morgan was lying awake in her bed, her hands behind her head and her eyes staring at the ceiling. She looked at the alarm clock that sat on the nightstand to her right just as it changed to 1:00AM. She looked back at the ceiling and began to think. In the passing days since coming to the Kaiba mansion, she could tell that Seto's visits were taking its tole on his present self. She saw Kaiba taking pain killer pills when he thought no one was looking and sensed the sudden spikes of spiritual energy in the middle of the night.

_I got a bad feeling things aren't going well,_ Morgan thought.

"Things aren't going well," a familiar voice echoed.

Morgan quickly shifted in her bed and saw the transparent form of Seto. "I'm not surprised," she replied. "I was a little surprised when I first met him that he was even more stubborn than _you_," she added with a hint of mockery.

Seto harrumphed but decided not to go further into the subject. "I feel that time is running out. There have been some strange presences being felt in The Spirit World, and Pharaoh Atem is only becoming more and more nervous."

Morgan looked down. "The calm before the storm," she said under her breath.

"What was that?" Seto asked.

Morgan shook her head. "Nothing." She looked back up at her companion and added, "Tomorrow night, don't visit him in his dreams. I'm going to talk to him and see if I can help."

"Very well, but I doubt he will listen," Seto commented, before fading away, leaving Morgan by herself, but not for very long.

_"Are you certain that is wise, Morgan?"_ Embarr asked, appearing on the bed, her feet tucked underneath her body. She looked at Morgan with questioning eyes.

Morgan met them strongly. "Like Seto said, time is running out. Corridor is starting to make his move and its only a matter of time before he's able to gain access to The Spirit World and makes slaves of its residents. I _can't_ let that happen; I alone bear the duty of protecting The Spirit World." She looked down. "Too many have suffered already because of my carelessness."

_"Don't say that,"_ Embarr argued. _"Corridor is a foe to be reckoned with and you know full well that_ none _of this is your fault."_

Morgan sighed. "I guess." She was silent for a few moments, then continued. "I think it's time; when I go to see Yugi, I'll tell him the truth about my past… and Corridor."


End file.
